Spironolactone
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Spironolactone is a type of oral medication called an anti-androgen that is sometimes prescribed to females. Androgens are male hormones that are present...

Spironolactone is a type of oral medication called an anti-androgen that is sometimes prescribed to females. Androgens are male hormones that are present in both males and females that lead to more acne, and spironolactone helps reduce androgens.

It is usually taken once or twice a day, around the same time(s), preferably with a meal.

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April 23, 2011

Pros:

Weight loss (possibly from diuretic effect of med).

Cons:

Side effects included dizziness, excessive thirst, irregular periods, and sensitivity to caffeine. Don't take this med if you have low blood pressure already.

I've been on this med exactly 3 months now, and my skin is worse than ever, with cysts along my jawline and around my ears. My dose has been low--50 mg--because of side effects (most notably dizziness due to low blood pressure). Med may be more effective for those who can take higher dose.
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April 21, 2011
Round 2 of spiro because it's the only thing that really WORKS!!!

Pros:

- Skin seems less oily almost right away
- No new cysts or pimples after 6 weeks
- Takes a few months, but it will clear hormonal acne completely!!!

Cons:

- Increase in small bumps at first
- Diuretic effects

I first took this medication in 2011 for my adult onset (22) hormonal acne. It always coincided with my cycle and was confined to just my chin and jawline! After my derm suggested it and reading these reviews, I knew it was my answer. It took 3 months (50 mg a day) to stop getting new pimples and for the old marks to fade but then I had flawless skin for a two years! I stopped taking it and birth control to get ready to have kids/experiment to see if I no longer needed it and it took 3 months for my skin to return to it's normal state... With my wedding 6 months away, I decided to get back on it for now. It's working just as it did last time- so at least I know it's reliable and consistent! WIshing the effects lasted without taking a pill daily, but it is still without a doubt worth it! I love this medication and how much it helped my self confidence! Good luck to all you girls starting it. Hope it works just as well for you :)
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April 16, 2011
Hey guys, I'm 23 and was prescribed this med by my doctor back in january. I have had ups and down with my skin since my teenage years, but its never been this severe. I just past the 3 month mark, and although my acne has gotten slightly better, it still makes me sick to my stomach on a daily basis. I don't know if I've become obsessed with it, or if it really is as bad as I think.I have had flawless skin before, so I know it's not better. Anyways, I was just wondering if it took anyone more than 3 months to get this "beautiful" skin I keep reading about. I'm just getting really discouraged and I don't know if I should give up on this medication or not.
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April 15, 2011

Pros:

*Reduces Acne
*No Inital Break Out
*Restore Confidence
*Reduces Oil Production
*NO Sides Effects (Yet)

Cons:

Hasn't cleared ance up 100%...yet!

So my doc procrisbed this to me for my hormonal acne, and I was super nervous because I hate taking medicine. I was having a HORRIBLE breakout, and this, along with tretinion seemed to help alot! It has only been three weeks and my acne has majorly subsided. Also, it reduces my oil production. Before I used to be an oily mess by the end of the day, now it is still a little oily but much much better! And the reason I said light is because this has reduced mine from moderate acne to light:) I hope it keeps working! ps- I have noticied nooo side effects..I dont have to pee anymore than before..there is no difference in me except my acne and confiedence :)
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April 13, 2011

Pros:

cyst-free skin
less oily skin and hair
less facial hair

Cons:

headaches
irregular periods
nausea
thirst
weird dreams

I have been on spiro for about 3 years. I started on 50 mg and then was increased to 200mg/day. At 200mg I had beautiful skin, but I was constantly feeling depressed and nauseous. The dr. reduced the dose to 150mg/day. I tried to reduce it again to 100mg/day but my dhea levels started to climb again (monitored by endocrinologist). I now stay on 150 mg. Ever since I started taking spiro, the cysts subsided. It was getting to the point where I was depressed about my skin (at 45 year old). I always had acne but never cysts that were so painful. Spiro is a great drug, but there are a lot of side effects. I now get my period every 12-15 days...dr. worries about iron deficiency and it's a nuisance. I sometimes feel more moody than I used to be, but, all in all, I would highly recommend it. I'm hoping I can stop taking it when I hit menopause.
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April 12, 2011

Pros:

seemed to keep my skin clear after I got off of antibiotics for several months, but suddenly I began breaking out again and after a month of taking it at a higher dose the situation has not improved

Cons:

having to urinate 9 times a day; never being able to sleep through the night without getting up 1-3 times to pee; feeling light headed, dizzy and tired on a regular basis; constant dehydration; having to get blood tests; not being able to get pregnant while on it (risk of birth defects); uncertainty as to its tumerogenic effects on humans

I have no doubt that many people do very well with this drug and may experience little to no (perceptible) side effects while taking it, but unfortunately, in my case, the benefits were short-lived and the side-effects seem to outweigh any gains at this point. Even if maintaining my higher dose will eventually resolve the minor breakouts I've had recently, I will not continue to take this drug until I have tried a few other remedies. I am literally tired of not sleeping through the night like I used to (waking up an average of two times/night to pee), and I know I have gained a few pounds due to the constant feeling of hunger, which is more often than not dehydration in disguise. Good luck to others who are interested in spironolactone. As for me, I've had enough!
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April 12, 2011

Pros:

consistently keeps skin clear!!

Cons:

none for me

This med. combined with ortho-tri-cyclen was a cure for my acne. I started this med. about 1 year (34 years old) 100 mg.The derma has kept me on this dose. Just saw him last week- he said I looked lovely. I can't express enough my gratitude and confidence in this med. for hormonal acne. :))
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April 9, 2011

Pros:

I just started 10 days ago so of course im not here to write a review yet, but i had a question for 'kindal' from scottsdale.

Cons:

i am wondering if i will get an initial breakout, i have done months worth of research about spiro so i understand what im getting myself into

hopefully "Kindal" reads this because I wanted to know if you had an intitial breakout like a lot of people do. also, how long have you been using it, & you say you're on 25mg? is that all you've ever used or did you go up higher in mg? i wish there was a better way other than the message boards to ask peope questions on here! lol is your skin nice & clear now? like really clear? thanks kindal!
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April 7, 2011

Pros:

Cleared up large cystic acne

Cons:

nausea, dizziness, indigestion, headaches, frequent urination, irregular periods

I'm 35 and going through a lot of stress in my life. For over a year I had terrible cystic acne, especially on my back and neck. So, I started out on 100mg a day and had an increase in breakouts before starting to see it clear up. However I had terrible side effects. So I cut back to 50 mg and still had terrible side effects. I am now down to 25mg a day starting today but I'm afraid it won't work as well. But I can't live with the headaches and nausea anymore. Its almost worse than being pregnant, but my skin hasn't looked this good since I was 25.
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April 6, 2011

Pros:

Reduces acne and body hair by a great deal.

Cons:

Mild side effecs in the first moths.
Long term side effect: my period stopped completely.

I have been taking this for about two years and it has helped my acne by about 80/90% and reduces my body hair also graitly. Now I'm afraid to stop it, but am also very worried about the fact that I don't get any periods any more (at least, not without the Yasmin bc). This seems all very onlogical to me. Maybe it's because my hormones were normal before and now my body doesn't produce enough testorone too make enough estrogen. I don't know.. IF ANYONE HAS AN IDEA, PLEASE REPORT THIS! I will be reading it gladly! Good luck!
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